Brendan Rodgers had Celtic fans eating out of his hand for the majority of his first spell in charge.
That was up until his shock mid-season departure for Leicester City – he “traded immortality for mediocrity” in their eyes – left them gobsmacked and the mood quickly changed to one of anger. Four years on and for a far smaller section of the support that feeling of resentment remains as Rodgers has the job of winning over any doubters after his previously unthinkable return to the Hoops hotseat.
In announcing his appointment on a three-year deal, Rodgers said everything you would expect on the club statement. He spoke of the great “privilege” of being asked to manage the club again, how they had “enjoyed some great times at Celtic before” and that he “will be doing all I can to maintain Celtic’s momentum as we face into all our domestic and European challenges”. It was all nice stuff but skirting around many of the main issues. The hardcore Hoops fans group the Green Brigade even took to social media to post the image of a banner describing Rodgers as a “fraud” shortly after the announcement and that alone has divided opinion among the fans.
Rodgers will face much more testing questions when he faces his official unveiling in front of the media at Parkhead on Friday and here Record Sport picks out half a dozen topics on which he is likely to be asked to answer.
Do you now regret the manner of your departure for Leicester City?
It wasn’t so much the fact Rodgers left but more the circumstances surrounding it. The Irishman had Celtic on course for an incredible third consecutive clean sweep with his side eight points clear in the Scottish Premiership title race after a 4-1 win over Motherwell in his final game. And it was the risk of jeopardising all that by leaving with three months to go which could have derailed the season. Looking at the bigger picture, it was also scuppering the chance of an historic 10-in-a-row – which they failed to get in the end.
The fans had chanted about him being around for that landmark achievement and he even responded by holding both hands up after one game before joking: “I was just stretching my fingers!” But he added: “That's my job – to try to help them achieve that.” That was the issue for fans, the fact he gave the impression he didn’t want to be anywhere else. After being linked with the Chelsea job in his second season, he said: “I'm not sure I could be anywhere in the world, and I don't mean just in England, I don't think I could be anywhere in the world and be as happy as what I am now because I'm getting the chance to develop players. Every coach and manager will tell you it's nice when you're linked with these jobs, but it's all irrelevant really,” The final insult in the eyes of the fans was the fact it was Leicester City he left for and not one of the EPL big guns.
There was a furious reaction from the fans when you left four years ago. Can there ever be that trust again?
This is going to be another issue. Football fans, and in particular followers of Celtic, love to have that connection with their manager. It was something they really enjoyed with Ange Postecoglou and his departure for Tottenham Hotspur has also stung them and left them questioning where their affection and loyalty is every truly matched by the man in the dugout. They thought they had it with Rodgers previously only for him to break that in spectacular style. So having laid it on so thick before about being a Celtic fan only to leave for the King Power Stadium, how can they take him at face value?
You have signed a three-year deal. Can you assure supporters that you are in it for the long term this time and if an EPL opportunity comes up again you won’t be tempted?
This will be a difficult one for Rodgers to answer unequivocally. He is a professional and therefore wants to get the best for his career – including salary, ambition and profile. talkSPORT pundit Darren Bent predicted that there could be more heartbreak ahead for Celtic fans as he claimed Rodgers will jump ship again. The former England striker said: “If Brendan Rodgers goes up there, stays three years, two years, does really well and a challenge in the Premier League comes, of course he is going to think about it and probably take it. The Premier League for a lot of managers, it's the holy grail, if you can get a Premier League job it's the be all and end all."
What constitutes success in Europe for you?
On the park, this is the big one for Rodgers. Celtic need to improve on the European arena as they prepare for their 20th anniversary since last winning a knockout tie. It’s a statistic that is made to look worse by the fact that their fierce rivals Rangers have reached two European finals during that period – one of which came after they had to journey all the way back to the top flight after being sent to Scottish football’s bottom tier following their financial implosion. Rodgers will reportedly be backed with significant funds to help them progress in that arena. They go straight into the Champions League group stage and even a third place finish and run deep into the Europa League must be the target, surely. But with the Europa League Final in Dublin next season, how does the man himself view success in Europe?
You appeared to become frustrated over a lack of backing in the transfer market in your final season, particularly missing out on John McGinn, with your famous ‘terminado’ line. What assurances have you been give this time around?
The Irishman will reportedly be handed a kitty of anything between £30m and £35m to achieve his ambitions at Parkhead. But the relationship became strained between Rodgers and the board in his final season. He sent out messages through the media which resulted in pro-Brendan Rodgers banners appearing. One read ‘Back the manager or back to mediocrity’. They can’t afford for that to happen again and must be on the same page.
You told a story at a Q&A event hosted by Eamonn Holmes involving Danny McGrain, saying he would always have a place at the club while you are there after he held off getting changed into his training kit. This has been disputed in places – is it true?
Rodgers was always very open during his time in charge and his press conferences enlightening. But he started to earn a reputation for embellishing stories. There was the famous one about being stuck in traffic in the Clyde Tunnel and fearing the worst when a man in a blue top got out of his car, only for the Rangers fan to thank him for being a “breath of fresh air”. And there was THAT Danny McGrain story at an event to promote Rodgers’ autobiography. McGrain was at the event and even stood up to a round of applause but the legendary Hoops full back is later said to have denied the exchange ever took place and that he was even “embarrassed” by it. So what really happened?
There has been a perception in recent weeks from those of a Rangers persuasion that much of your domestic success was down to facing a weak Ibrox side. Is that unfair?
Celtic and Rangers managers are always measured against each other and for Rodgers it was a very one-sided rivalry. He swatted Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha aside and dished out a couple of heavy beatings to interim Ibrox gaffer Graeme Murty. His 13th and final derby was his only defeat, coming against Steven Gerrard. The Light Blues were just getting their act together before the Irishman left and he is likely to face a tougher opponent in Michael Beale, although the Rangers boss himself still has plenty to prove in the derby.
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